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Creating a Social Media Strategy (Without Pulling your Hair Out!)

With so many social media platforms trending, and more being released every day, creating a social media strategy for your nonprofit can feel overwhelming and never ending. While it’s true that there are hundreds of social media channels offering competitive and immersive experiences, you can rest assured that being successful on social media has more to do with how you use it, rather than which tool you chose to use.

 

So take a deep breath, pick your head up, and read on.

 

First, get the basics out of the way. Even if you don’t plan on using all of the social media channels out there, it’s a good best practice to create an account for the most popular social memdia channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube, Snapchat, Periscope, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Vine, etc…). This way, if you should choose to utilize them in the future, you will have consistent branding across each channel. You might not want to use Snapchat now, but if you decide to take your social media in a different direction and explore Snapchat, you can have peace of mind knowing that you already have an account.

 

Secondly, develop a goal. What is your organization’s mission? What do you do? What is your overall want? This is key to developing a successful social media strategy. If you don’t know what you want, you might be wandering around social media with no direction. And that does more harm for your online presence than good. It’s better to have a focus and goal, executed well and one social media account, than have multiple accounts and not have any idea what to do with them.

 

Next, take a look at your content. Sit down with your social media team and discuss content types. Maybe your organization has a lot of opportunities for pictures. Perhaps you have many videos from prior events. Or maybe your organization hosts many events. It’s crucial that you identify and agree on the content you have before selecting you social media channel.

 

Once you’ve identified your strongest content type, the next step is getting to know each social media channel. Facebook excels at promoting events, community, and networking, and is great for uploading event photos and descriptions. Youtube excels in promoting videos, while Instagram is best for impactful images. Once you’re able to easily match your social media content to it’s channel, you’re already ahead of the curve.

 

Your next step is to concentrate on the two, or three social media channels that best match your content. Be engaging, and responsive. Create a content calendar that you and your team stick with on a daily or weekly schedule. Consistency is key when it comes to social media, but dont ignore the opportunities for spontaneous posts or live broadcasts. It's important to engage with your community in real time, so do your best not to ignore comments. Really use social media for what it was meant for: connecting and networking with engaging conent. Develop relationships with influencers, competitors, partners, clients, and other supporters. Start conversations, sign up for events, and join groups. Learn with and from your audeince by metting them where they are, engaging with them, and developing sincere relationships. It will take some time, but developing a strong foundation for connections does so much more for your organization than just numbers in the followers tab.

 

Lastly, know that social media is a way to direct people to your website, where they can learn more about you, and see your donation page. Every post, tweet, snap, etc should be an extension of your mission, and point back to your website. Social media is a way to connect people, and expand the impact of your organization through meaningful connections.

 

I hope you find this post useful!

 

All my love,

 

Blondie